Today’s digital design solutions are increasingly powerful tools that can simplify the AEC project lifecycle. But, they’re not the only new, innovative tools helping people that make things for the government operate more effectively and efficiently. Other cutting edge technologies such as drones and laser scanning, when used in conjunction with3D design programs such as Civil 3D, can ensure that public works, public utility and other government projects are done on time, and on budget..
But, staying on top of these new advancements – and even the latest versions of digital design tools and application – can be difficult. Many of the latest and greatest iterations of these solutions, such as the 2020 editions of AutoCAD, Civil 3D and Revit, have functionalities that users who have just upgraded may not have fully harnessed yet, and that could mean that they are not fully realizing the cost and time efficiencies that upgrading their software can bring.
For government users, that means that they could be delivering greater value for their taxpayers’ dollars.
Fortunately, that’s where free programs like ProSoft’s PowerLaunch – which will take place on May 29th – come into play. PowerLaunch will give attendees the chance to learn from industry experts on a broad array of digital design topics, including industry best practices and what’s new in Revit, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D 2020. PowerLaunch will even feature multiple discussions covering how to implement a UAV program and what to do with the data post-flight.
To find out more about what government users specifically can get out of PowerLaunch, we spoke with Brandon Monsen, ProSoft Vice President, to get his take on what digital design wisdom could be gleaned from the event.
Here’s what he had to say:
GovDesignHub (GDH): Can you tell our readers a bit about ProSoft? What capabilities does your company bring to bear for potential federal, state, and local government customers?
Brandon Monsen: ProSoft has been an industry leader of design solutions for over 34 years. We have a national reputation and are well known for our training, reality capture – including reality capture with drones and Laser scanning – and software implementation services.
GDH: What is PowerLaunch? What is the event’s mission? What do you think government Autodesk solution users would they get out of attending on May 29th?
Brandon Monsen: ProSoft’s PowerLaunch is one of the highest attended Autodesk reseller events in the country. We are excited to be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the PowerLaunch this year. The PowerLauch event is structured similar to a day of Autodesk University. Attendees have a full industry-specific lineup of breakout sessions to choose from, including industry panels and product demonstrations.
This is a free event and is another way that ProSoft gives back to our community. All attendees, including our valued government users, will learn the latest tips and tricks with the new versions of the Autodesk software. They will also be exposed to the latest trends in design and data collection, as well.
GDH: Among the many Autodesk solutions out there, which solutions will be the focus at PowerLaunch and what will they learn about those programs that they’re not going to learn anywhere else?
Brandon Monsen: I think the biggest thing they will learn is the power of the software they already own. The Autodesk collections have a full array of software and tools that most users don’t know even exist. Our sessions will teach them how to use these tools in their day to day workflow, increasing their people’s performance and profits – or budgets in the case of government entities.
GDH: Some of the tracks and sessions at this year’s event are drone focused. What role can drones play in the AEC process for governments? Why are drones a good alternative for these processes?
Brandon Monsen: The technology that’s available in our industry today is incredible! Reality capture with drones can facilitate almost every aspect of design process. Our government partners can use drones for land mapping (GIS), flood control, surveying, inspections and even 3D modeling, to name a few.
Drones can give you economical “up-to-the-minute” information that you can’t get on-demand anywhere else. Users can plan a flight and be up in the air gathering information in minutes with greater accuracy vs. the traditional way of doing things in the past.
GDH: Along those lines, an entire session is dedicated to what to do with drone data post flight. Is this an area where government users struggle? Is it difficult to incorporate drone data into existing systems, or are there things they’re not analyzing drone data for that they should be?
Brandon Monsen: Many users don’t understand what they get with this new technology. They also struggle with the steps they should follow to get this complex information into the programs they use. They don’t know what they don’t know, However, once they see how easy it is, they are blown away and want to incorporate it in their day-to-day workflow.
GDH: Another track is dedicated to tips and tricks for using Civil 3D. What is Civil 3D and how/why do governments use it? What use cases does the application have for government users?
Brandon Monsen: Civil 3D is one of the most commonly used Autodesk products in the public sector. From surveying and land development, to road design and GIS, Civil 3D is the product that government organizations and agencies rely on.
This is especially true within the Department of Transportation and state Departments of Transportation, where many users are converting from a competing product to Civil 3D. ProSoft has helped several DOT’s in making this transition.
To dig deeper into these digital design topics, you can register for PowerLaunch here.
